It was a Friday night - we had been in since 10pm - not fair as all our other friends were staying out late, when your 15 or 16 you think you can rule the world - don't you?
Ah, but we had a plan, a sneaky plan, and - if well executed, it would be a fantastic plan.
You see dad had a routine, a very predictable routine, you go though life knowing a person the way you do, and bingo you find the way.
Dad would roll in from the Admiral Cunningham, usually about 1100 ish, absoslutley merry as as a march hare, singing away, making it up as he went along. He then went in the downstairs loo to 'relive' himself. Then maybe a trip to the kitchen - make a sandwich, or a pork pie or sausage roll - unless he called into the take-away. By midnight with his tummy full the lure of a comfy warm bed beckoned, and of he went to bed.
The stairs in our house had some worn and weary steps, and Donna and I had revised the very steps that creaked and groaned under the weight of badly placed foot. But before we dare leave - pillows and jumpers would be stuffed under our pillows, a clever ruse to disguise the fact that we were not there, just in case mum or dad came in to check - which they sometimes did.
Then like two naughty little imps, we tiptoed carefully down the stairs, treading carefully and avoiding the steps that would give us away.
Once to the bottom we made our way to the living room and to the large windows towards the back garden. The window was huge and perfect to make a great escape. With our goal in sight we carefully opened up the window and slowly climbed out over the window sill. Then once on the safety of the back garden gate - we did a little jog and celebrated our well executed plan and then did a dash to rejoin our friends.......
Confessions of a naughty teenage daughter......